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MANCHESTER. — Yaya Toure wants to join forces with Pep Guardiola and make Manchester City even bigger than Manchester United. Toure endured a miserable start to the season after being frozen out by new boss Guardiola following his summer arrival. Guardiola left Toure out of his Champions League squad and didn’t pick him for a Premier League game until the middle of last month.

Toure was dumped on the sidelines following a row between Guardiola and the midfielder’s outspoken agent Dimitri Seluk. He appeared to be heading for the exit in the January transfer window before being welcomed back into the fold after making a grovelling apology.

Since marking his comeback with two goals to help City sink Crystal Palace in November he has gone on to make six league appearances. With key midfielder Ilkay Gundogan ruled out for two months with damaged knee ligaments, Toure looks set to become an influential figure once again and produced an impressive performance in Saturday’s crucial home win over Arsenal.

Toure said: “I’ve always been a key figure in this team. I want to make something very important.

“I’ve already won two Premier League titles and I want more than that, another new story. What we are seeing is the Premier League is so tough, this year it’s going to be tougher than any other years.

“But I came to this club to make history. I want this club to change, I want this club to be bigger than United. I know it’s going to be a lot of work, but that’s my dream.

“I have been lucky to play at big clubs, Barcelona, Olympiakos, those teams were always used to being champions.

“But City, it was something different, something was changing and I am happy now. Every single year we are always involved in the title race.

“Even though we lost, and something changed or something was bad, the following year the owner put more money into the club and got better players to make it better. That’s what I like, the challenge, I love a challenge.”

Toure has now seemingly buried the hatchet with Guardiola.

“To be honest, I belong on the field you know. Even if I’m not playing I want to be at the stadium to watch,” he said.— The Daily Star